“You Can’t Discuss These Issues in Sweden”

The Sweden Democrats — the only major immigration-critical party in Sweden — are not very popular in Malmö, the most culturally enriched Swedish city.

The following news report from Denmark takes a look at the immigration issue as it plays out in Malmö, and also discusses the “cordon sanitaire” that has been put in place around the Sweden Democrats by the other major political parties, especially the Social Democrats.

Many thanks to Michael Laudahn for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:


Transcript:

0:00		Now let’s talk about the conditions in Malmö, Copenhagen’s neighbouring city.
0:04		During this week we looked at the tensions
0:08		characterising the city, and which - among other things - are related to the large influx of immigrants the city
0:12		has gone through. The Sweden Democrats party receives more and more support
0:16		from the population for its immigration-critical attitude, but while
0:20		The Danish People’s Party was allowed to tolerate the former [minority] government here in Denmark, the old
0:25		Swedish parties refuse to make political alliances with the Sweden Democrats.
0:29
0:33		Call to Friday prayer in Malmö. Several thousand Moslems are gathered in the White Mosque
0:37		on the outskirts. With the many different nationalities, the colourful
0:41		flock is an image of the diversity which Sweden and Malmö are so proud of.
0:45		In this city, there is room for everyone. ‘Everyone is welcome.
0:50		It is really good that
0:54		Islam also comes here to Sweden and Malmö.
0:58		This will spread peace.’
1:02		But parts of Malmö’s population are growingly sceptical of the immigration
1:06		of Moslem citizens. Something known by Magnus Olsson, sitting on
1:11		the city council for the Sweden Democrats. In the last election, the party
1:15		got more than 10 % of the vote for a platform warning against the problems
1:19		arising from growing immigration. ‘We are against this development
1:23		which has created the multicultural society and mass immigration.
1:27		With regard to Malmö,
1:32		they have created a host of problems.’ ‘No fascists in our streets!’
1:36		The Sweden Democrats are constantly being confronted by counter-demonstrators
1:40		from the left-wing spectrum, like ten years ago, when the party revolted
1:44		against the extreme right wing. Today, rhetoric and politics appear
1:48		more moderate, and during the last election, the party made its debut entrance in the Riksdag
1:52		in Stockholm. But the established parties, both here at the town hall and
1:57		the Riksdag refuse to base their politics on the votes for the Sweden Democrats.
2:01		‘Because of the simple reason that they are a xenophobic party.
2:05		I don’t care what religion people have. The most important thing
2:09		for me is that people can take care of themselves, that they can contribute
2:13		to our country, but also enjoy the fruits of their labour.’
2:17		Today, every fifth inhabitant in Malmö is of non-Western origin.
2:22		Anywhere, the result of an immigration policy can be seen,
2:26		in which people from all over the world can get a residence permit in Sweden,
2:30		irrespective of their relationship, with no language test, nor the 24-year rule known to us in Denmark.
2:34		But immigrants from non-Western countries are often affected by unemployment.
2:38		They are a heavy burden in the crime statistics and at the social welfare office.
2:43		A problem that the participants in Friday prayers can also recognise.
2:47		‘If there are lots of foreigners at the same place, there will be chaos.
2:55		They need to be spread out a little.’ The demand
2:59		raised by The Sweden Democrats against this challenge is to limit new immigration to Sweden.
3:04		‘First we need to take care of the people that are in Sweden today.
3:08		Help them and make sure they become a part of society, before we pour new ones on top.
3:12		This is our basic thought.’ A message attracting more and more voters,
3:16		especially here in southern Sweden. But it’s also a message interpreted as
3:20		xenophobic by the media and the other parties, thereby repelling
3:25		major parts of the Swedish population. ‘We avoid
3:29		contacts with the Sweden Democrats. We want to be as little Sweden Democrat as possible.
3:33		For if you are sufficiently un-Sweden Democrat, then
3:37		you will be attractive for middle-class voters. And that’s what we are fighting for.
3:41		It is their favour we are fighting for.’ For while many Swedes
3:45		recognise that certain immigrant groups are badly integrated and are a challenge
3:50		for society, it still is unacceptable to indicate that the belief
3:54		or foreign culture of people can be a part of the cause.
3:58		‘That we say that people having a certain religion or believe in a certain god
4:02		or don’t eat pork, that they are so and so, that is what is the problem.
4:06		When we use degrading epithets about a people’s soul,
4:10		then from that point on we Social Democrats won’t go along anymore.’
4:14		Today, the Sweden Democrats have an image pointing in two directions:
4:19		partially as not house-trained and xenophobic, partially as the only party
4:23		daring to challenge political correctness and to criticise immigration.
4:27		‘As soon as you mention Moslems or Islam, matters get very sensitive.
4:31		You can’t discuss these issues in Sweden. As soon as
4:35		you do, you’re shown the infamous racism card, or you are being blamed for Islamophobia.
4:40		I think this is sad, for shouldn’t we be able to discuss anything?’
4:44		In Malmö, the Social Democrats have held onto power
4:48		for twenty years. But even if the party continues to decline in the
4:52		opinion polls, they will never get into power supported by
4:56		the Sweden Democrats, we are told today. ‘We Social Democrats
5:00		have such a good ideology, we have such good ideas, and we have
5:04		such a good societal model that we must win on these merits. And if we can’t
5:09		win without making compromises with regard to the way we look upon every human [as equal etc],
5:13		I will no longer participate.’ And in Malmö’s mosques, the new
5:17		inhabitants of Malmö hope that the Sweden Democrats’ success will stop.
5:21		‘If it continues this way, then Sweden moves in a direction where Sweden
5:25		should not be.’ ‘They think this is an evil religion.
5:29		But it isn’t. I tell everyone who hasn’t read about Islam
5:34		that they should read about it. There are many books [on it] in Swedish.
5:39		They will like it. It’s a promise.’

For a complete listing of previous enrichment news, see The Cultural Enrichment Archives.